What If
by chaotic pink chocobo
Summary: [AU AeriSeph] Aeris is more or less forced to go along with Sephiroth and Jenova, but they aren't the only ones who are forcing her. The planet seems to think that having Aeris follow them will be beneficial to it as well. [Being redone again.]
1. Prelude

**Authoress Notes**: I have redone this story repeatedly, I hope this is the last time. If you are new to this story, then welcome!

Clearly, this is an Alternate Universe story, and the main pairing will be Aeris/Sephiroth. Side pairings will be slight, but in case any offend you later on Cloud/Tifa, Yuffie/Vincent, Cid/Shera, and we will see if there will be more later on.

**Summary:** Aeris has resented Shin-ra for most of her life, so when she learns that Sephiroth and Jenova, who claims to be a Cetra as well, plan to destroy the malevolent power company, she willingly joins, never realizing that they plan to destroy the human race as well.

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square-enix, not me. I am not making any money off this, and I do not claim to own anything in this story. This is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Beta'd by Tishannia. Thank you so very much!

**What If- Prelude**

Beginnings can be the most important, but they can be the least important as well.

Five years ago, something fell into the Lifestream at Nimbelheim, something that was an abomination to the planet. Not wanting this _thing_ to taint its children, the Planet pushed the half-dead being to the crater at the northern pole, where it sealed the being with the Weapons, hoping if the being was ever revived, they would destroy it once and for all.

Unknown to them, Sephiroth did not need to be free to walk the planet.

_Current day __Midgar Slums_

Aeris gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before picking up her basket full of flowers**."**I'll be back for supper!"

"Be careful." Elmyra said as she handed her daughter the beaten up metal staff**. "**Remember, Marlene is coming to stay with us."

Aeris nodded her head, remembering that the small girl whose loving father had a habit of leaving the girl with them sometimes. He always paid and thanked them but never mentioned why he had to leave. "Bye Mom!"

As she watched the young flower girl disappear, Elmyra had an unsettling feeling that she tried to ignore. Her daughter always came home unscathed, today would not be any different.


	2. Chapter One

**_Thanks to Tishannia for beta'ing this!_**

**What If - Chapter One**

_Midgar Slums Wall Market_

Aeris offered a small yellow flower to a passer by, who ignored the flower girl and continued walking, unaware of the pout on the young woman's face. She had been hoping that since this was a busy place, more people would be buying her flowers, but she hadn't sold a single flower yet.

"Hey sweet cheeks, I'll buy a flower."

Aeris turned around, smiling, "Five gil pleas..." She froze when she saw the messy red haired Turk, who was flanked by three Shinra MPs. Reno smiled wickedly, thinking he had finally caught her. However, Aeris was not about to go quietly. She threw her basket full of flowers in the Turk's face before running away.

"Don't just stand there!" She heard Reno yell at the MPs, "Catch her!"

She ran out of Wall Market and headed back into Sector 6, hoping to lose her pursuers in the maze of junk. However, to her great dismay, it seemed like the MPs had spent time down in the slums, since they easily navigated the maze, and slowly caught up to her just as they entered Sector 5.

"End of the road, Missy." Of the MPs growled as he caught Aeris arm. "You're coming back to HQ with us."

Aeris tried to reach the materia on her arm, hoping to cast her strongest spell to knock the MPs back. "No you don't." Said the second MP as he grabbed her other arm, squeezing it tightly making her wince, "You're coming with us."

"Can't you guys pick on someone else?" She begged. "Why are you guys chasing after me? Shouldn't you be going after real criminals or something?"

"Professor Hojo is going to pay us double if we bring you in." Explained the third MP and even though she could not see his face, she had a feeling he was smirking.

"I would have stuck with the criminals." A mysterious voice said before a long sword slid into the third MP's chest. Aeris eyes went wide with shock as she watched a tall man wearing a black cloak that completely hid his face drew out his sword from the dead body that collapsed onto the ground.

The other two MPs forgot about Aeris when they saw their comrade was dead. "Why you!" the first one yelled as he and the second MP picked up their machine guns that were hanging from a strap that was slung across their shoulders. Before they could even aim, they both became victims to the cloaked man's sword, leaving Aeris alone with him.

The man raised his face just enough for her to see glowing aqua eyes underneath the hood. She gulped, thinking she was going to end up like the MPs, and was surprised when he spoke.

"You are a Cetra, correct?" Numbly, she nodded, "Good. Follow me."

He turned around, expecting her to do as he commanded, so after he took a few steps and did not hear her following, he looked behind him. She was still standing there, except now she defensively held a battered metal staff. "I'm not going with you." She said, trying to sound confident, but her voice came out shaky.

The man turned completely around, "Yes, you are."

The tone of his voice made Aeris think twice before shaking her head. "No. I don't care how much Hojo or Shinra is paying you; I'm not going with you!"

The man paused, and made Aeris jump when his long sword moved. She felt foolish when it was obvious that he was not going to strike her when he put the sword in its sheath that was hidden beneath the cloak. "I am not in league with _them." _He practically spat out that word, disgusted. "My mother wants to meet you."

Aeris wondered if maybe this strange man was nothing more than those dangerous insane people that she heard horror stories about. However, how had he known about her heritage? She and her mother made certain not tell anyone that. "_Maybe it's just a ploy to make me follow him."_ She suddenly thought and in response tightened her grip on her staff. "Why would your mother want to meet me?" She asked warily.

The man sighed, "If you come with me, you'll find out." He said, "We won't hurt you; no experiments or sneering scientists, but we need to go, _now_."

She had no clue why, but once the cloaked man turned around to leave, Aeris followed him. They walked through Sector 6, and soon entered Sector 7. When they entered Sector 7, Aeris, who had been following at a good distance, slowly caught up and walked beside the cloaked stranger, remembering rumors of the terrorist group that was supposed to live here.

"Where are we going?" She asked after a while, once they arrived at the Sector 7 train station.

"Sector 0." He said once they boarded the train and the doors closed.

"Oh." She whispered, staring out the window of the train, watching the buildings pass by before they entered the tunnel that would slowly take them up top. She had not been in Sector 0, which was the technical term for the top plate of Midgar, since her and her birth mother escaped from Shinra many years ago. That was also the last time she had ever ridden a train.

"Tickets."

Both Aeris and the cloaked man looked up at the conductor who was looking at them impatiently. "Let me see your tickets."

"_We don't need tickets." _The cloaked man said, and Aeris caught a glint of yellow from underneath the cloak. "_Leave us."_

Under the spell of the command type materia, the man left them, walking mechanically into the next car. After that, no one bothered them, leaving Aeris to worry about the person next to her. He was good with his sword and materia, and he was possibly psychotic. Why did she follow him again? For all she knew he really did work for Shinra and Hojo!

"_Because he knew you were a Cetra."_ Her mind whispered. "_Not even the Turks know why they chase you. Why would __Shinra__ slip up and tell a mercenary?�"_

"Planet help me." She muttered under her breath as she covered her face with her hands. Underneath his cloak, the man watched, hearing her mutter, and wondered if this really was a fellow Cetra like Mother claimed.

Finally natural light shone through the windows as the train started to slow down. "Come on." The man said, standing up. Aeris hesitated a moment, thinking about riding the train back to the slums, but when she saw the glowing eyes she knew she wouldn't be able to. Obediently she followed him off the train, and squinted her eyes at the bright light. She shielded her eyes as she looked up, and saw the blue sky. The sight awed her; she had not seen the real sky in years. The cloaked man was surprisingly patient as she stared at the sky; he waited at least a minute before saying. "We need to move."

She looked back down at him and nodded, seeing the sky again had lifted her spirits. That, and she could faintly hear the Planet humming up here, something she usually only could here in her church. She felt protected now that her link to the Planet had been re-established. "Where are we going?" She asked again.

"Shinra HQ." He said, and suddenly the new feelings of protection and trust dissipated. The staff that she had been carrying limply came up in front of her.

"You liar!" She yelled, angry with herself for actually following him. "You really are working for Shinra!**"** She was such an idiot!

The cloaked man quickly disarmed her by grabbing her wrist with a gloved hand, the sudden movement making her drop her staff. He twisted her arm just enough to make her whimper and pay attention when he hissed "don't you dare say that I work for them. They are the lowest scum on the Planet!"

"Let go." she whined, starting to cry, "Please, your hurting me! I'm sorry, really, I am!"

The cloaked man let go of her wrist, his hand retreating into the folds of his cloak. "...We are rescuing Mother from Hojo, who he has locked up as a specimen." He said and his voice was still cold, but did not hold any of the anger that he had before.

"Break into Shinra! Are you nuts!" She said, but a glare from him made her regret saying that. "No offense," She said quickly, "but it's impossible!"

"Just stay beside me," He said, turning around and heading for the towering building. "And you won't get hurt."

"_What am I doing?" _She thought as she continued to follow him. "_This is suicide!" _The Planet continued to hum faintly in her mind, easing the fear of her mind as they approached the towering building. "_Do you really want me to follow him, Planet?" _She thought, and the humming swelled a little.

The Planet was insane, that was her only excuse when the cloaked man pulled out his sword once they arrived. It was insane and she was listening to it.


	3. Chapter Two

**Authoress Notes: This chapter has excessive violence, so if you have a weak stomach or do not like violence, I suggest you stop reading now.**

_Thanks again to Tishannia!_

**What If -Chapter Two**

_Midgar Top Plate _Shinra_ HQ_

Aeris was horrified at the scene in front of her. The young receptionist, who had only stood up to tell her companion that there were no weapons permitted inside the building, was now dead, slumped over her desk, blood dripping to the marble floor.

"Wha... Why did you do that?!" She screamed as people started panicking around them. "SOLDIERs are going to come now!"

"Let them." the cloaked man said, towards the stairs. Aeris paused, having a hard time believing what he just said, but when SOLDIERs appeared as she predicted, she caught up with him. She was no match for the mako-enhanced fighters, but he was. At least, she hoped he was.

"Halt!" The lead SOLDIER commanded, "Put down your weapon!"

The cloaked man did not pay their words any attention, instead he charged at them, sweeping his sword in a horizontal arc, slicing through the small troop. Aeris and everyone else screamed, running for the elevators, desperately pounding on the call buttons. Aeris watched as he purposely strode over to the group of people, his sword ready. She closed her eyes and tried to block their screams by covering her ears. She opened one eye when their screams died away, foolishly hoping that they would all be fine. The sight that greeted her made her want to throw up.

She turned and ran a couple of steps before her wrist was grabbed tightly once more. This time she struggled against his grip, yelling "Let me go! Let me go!" She tried pounding and hitting him with her free arm, but instead of letting her go, she felt cold metal press against the side of her neck.

"Stop."

She did as he commanded, looking up at him with terrified eyes. "Why did you kill all of them?"

"They aren't worthy of living." He answered, "Now are you going to behave?"

For a wild moment, she realized his question was the same thing her mother sometimes asked the neighbors children when they acted up while she watched them, and was annoyed that he was treating her like a child. Then the seriousness of the situation came crashing down on her. "Yes."

"Good." He said, turning back to the elevators, which had finally arrived, and stepped over the bodies of those he murdered to get inside. He looked back at her, and she quickly followed him, not wanting to anger him any more now that she knew he was capable of horrible things.

"Hojo's lab is on the 67th floor." She stated quietly, "You'll need a key-card to get there." Shinra always boasted about that when newscasters interviewed them, asking if they were worried about the terrorist group AVALANCHE. Every floor above 60 needed to be unlocked with certain key-cards.

She thought nothing more could surprise her, not after she had seen this man murder innocent people in cold blood, but she was proven wrong when he pulled out a Shinra key-card. He swiped it into the slot, and then pressed the button labeled '67'.

"... Why were they unworthy to live?" She asked after a stressful silence as the elevator climbed towards its destination.

"They are human. They've betrayed our kind, and raped the planet of its resources." He answered, a tinge of anger in his voice. "Do you really think they should be allowed to live after all they have done?"

She was silent as she stared out the window of the elevator, thinking. She did not notice that the cloaked man was watching her intently, trying to figure out what was going on in her mind.

"_**Son."**_

"_Mother?" _The cloaked man looked away from the young girl.

"_**Did you find her? Did you find the Cetra?" **_The voice in his demanded, causing him pain from her impatience.

_"Yes mother. She right here with me." _He answered, ignoring the pain.

**"****_Good, good. Hurry and come release me_****_!"_**

Beneath his hood, the man smiled as the elevator chimed when they reached the 67th floor. "_Soon mother, very soon."_

Aeris was hesitant to leave the safety of the elevator, but decided she did not want to be alone in Shinra HQ, so she followed him off and into Hojo's laboratory. She made sure to stick close to him, just in case there was any SOLDIERS lurking around, or worse, Hojo himself.

The cloaked man was not paying any attention to her, too intent on finding his mother. **"**_**This way! Hurry! Hurry!" **_She was yelling in his mind, giddy for freedom.

"_Yes mother. I know. Please, calm down."_ He could hardly blame her, after being stuck in Hojo's laboratory for five years. Nevertheless, her excitement was giving him a severe headache.

Moments later, he found a metal cell that looked almost like a container, with his mothers name spelled out in big, bold letters.

**JENOVA**

"Jenova?"

The question reminded him that the woman was still with him. He turned to look at her, and found her head tilted slightly to the side, thinking.

"That's Mother." He explained. She frowned as she looked over to him.

"Why is she in there? That looks more like a containment capsule than a cell like I..." Her frowned deepened as she shook her head slightly. He found himself wanting to ask her to finish her sentence, but his mother was growing impatient.

"**LET ME OUT!"**She screamed, making him wince and for a split second his body moved of its own will towards the cell **"****LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!" **She chanted repeatedly, getting more excited as his hand drew closer to the handle. Finally, when he thought the pain in his mind was too much to bear; his hand turned the handle, opening the door.

"Gah!" Aeris exclaimed when stuff that looked like raw mako spilled out onto the floor, washing past her boots. However, when she looked up to see the person they were rescuing, she shrieked louder. "What...!"

There was no way the woman was alive. For one thing, she had been cased in pure Mako; the second reason was her head was completely cut off. Nothing could live with its head severed, not even the monsters down in the slums.

However, the cloaked man stepped inside and wrapped his arms around the woman, pulling the body free from the tubes that had been plugged into her. "You're free mother." He said in a low tone.

Not able to take anymore of the insanity, Aeris ran out the door and into the hallway, ignoring the protest of the man behind her. A psychotic killer had kidnapped her! That was the only explanation! It was just chance that he knew her heritage! She ran down the deserted halls, not noticing that no one was around. Eventually she was worn out, and had to take a rest on the stairwell, not knowing where she was.

"_**Child**__**?"**_

Aeris looked around before realizing that it was the Planet talking to her. **"****Why so scared?"**

"I'm... I'm with an insane man who kills anything he doesn't like and thinks a dead body is his mother!"

"**Need to stay with him."**The planet said apologetically, **"****Not know what's true. Needs your guidance."**

"You want me to go with him!" She shrieked, "Why!"

"**Calamity from sky has her way, everything will be destroyed. Need you to help him to know what's right."**

The Planet went back to quietly humming in the back of her head as she thought her situation over. She could continue fleeing for her life, or she could go back to where the psycho cloaked man was, and hope he would not kill her.

On the other hand, she could just wait here. If he found her, she would go with him. If he did not, well, she could go home and forget this ever happened.

It was not long before heavy steps echoed from the stairwell, and the now familiar cloak appeared at the top of the flight of stairs. Aqua eyes looked at her from underneath the cloak, silently asking what she was planning on doing.

"I'll come." She said, standing up and dusting the dust and dirt from her pink dress. "... I'm sorry I ran off." She walked up the stairs until she was only a few steps away from the cloaked man before tilting her head and saying, "You know... I don't even know your name, or even what you look like."

"I'll tell you once we leave." Was all the man said before turning around and leading her back upstairs where he had left Jenova. She was finally out, but wanted him to chase down the woman before they left. Why did Mother want her? Yes, she was a Cetra, but she obviously sided with the humans. She should suffer the same fate as them.

**"****She just needs to be re-****educated." **Mother said, sensing his thoughts, **"****Soon she will know and see the truth."**

It was a much longer hike up the stairs than she remembered, and she was slightly out of breath when they finally reached where the cloaked man left the headless woman. Now that Aeris had a chance to look at the creature, she thought it looked... wrong. Its body was similar to a womans, but its flesh was too pink, and it had strange red things that slightly resembled wings sprouting from its back. **"****The Calamity from the Sky,"**the planet whispered. **"****Take**** him away from her, make him see truth, he can defeat her."**

"Mother," The cloaked man spoke in a soft voice. "I found her, the other Cetra."

Aeris jumped and partially hid behind the cloaked man when Jenova moved, its headless body turning to face her. **"****Don't worry; I am a**** Cetra, like you."** Aeris heard it speak in her mind, but unlike the warmth the planet and her Ancestors brought when they spoke to her, Jenova's voice caused icy cold pain to bombard her mind. **"****I understand I do not look right, but that is the scientist's fault."**

"We should leave." Aeris said, trying to change the subject so the creature would stop speaking.  
"It's not safe here."

"She's right Mother." The cloaked man said, "We should find a safe place for you to heal."

"**Take me to the top. I can leave on my own from there." **Aeris winced as the pain came again. "**I trust you can take care of yourself and her?"**

"Yes Mother."The cloaked stranger said as he went over and put an arm around Jenova and helped the being over to the elevator that had a sign on the wall beside it saying _'for lab use only'. _Aeris was hesitant before following them, Jenova was leaking blood, leaving a large red stain trailing behind her. "Planet help me." She whispered before running to catch up with them.

She followed the cloak man who carried Jenova through the second level of Hojo's lab, wary of the creature, but still keeping close to the pair. She would rather deal with the pain Jenova caused rather than face Hojo. When they came to the stairs, the man paused and hushed Aeris when she tried to ask what was wrong. After a moment, Aeris heard what made him stop.

"...don't let anyone through those doors!" The unmistakable voice of President Shinra echoed down the stairwell.

**"Conceited Humans,"**Jenova's voice burned in both their minds, **"Take me to them so I may show them true power."** The maliciousness in her tone easily frightened Aeris. The statement however, did not faze the man.

"Gladly."

Aeris trailed hesitantly and was glad she did when Jenova's arm transformed into a monstrous claw before swiping at the door, crushing it against the wall while sending shrapnel down the hall. That's when the screaming began. Aeris couldn't move except to shut her eyes and cover her ears, knowing what was coming. She couldn't watch as the man and Jenova gleefully killed the innocent people.

Jenova and the cloaked man didn't notice her disappearance until they finished slaughtering the humans. The man sighed when he saw that the woman was not with him, already feeling his mother's displeasure. "Will you be alright?" He asked as he set her down against the wall.

**"Find her."** Was all Jenova said.

He did not have to go far to find her. She was a few steps from the top, her eyes shut and her hands covering her ears. He opened his mouth to call out her name when he remembered he did not know her name. He closed his mouth, frowning as he walked down to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, terrified before recognizing the glowing aqua eyes.

"Do you truly believe Shinra and all those whose work for him are innocent?" The question might have been sympathetic if he did not have such a harsh tone. Nevertheless, she shook her head 'no'. "Then why are you so upset?"

"I just don't like seeing people die." she cried, tears threatening to spill. "Innocent or not, I just can't handle it!"

The man sighed as she covered face and sobbed. If he did not have such trust in his mother, he would have doubt that this girl was like them. Such naievety and innocence... "Mother and I will deal with President Shinra; then I'll come get you when we're done."

Aeris nodded and was surprised when he pulled a glowing red orb from the depths of his cloak. "This is a summon materia, use it if anyone comes." He instructed as she took the orb from him. The warmth of it surprised her; it was like a fire materia, but much, much, more powerful. She could faintly see a face with horns inside it, surrounded by fire.

He stood up, prepared to return to Mother, when he heard a quiet "thank you." He looked back, slightly confused. She was smiling now, when moments earlier she had been crying.

"...Stay here."


	4. Chapter Three

A/n: Sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final fantasy VII or any of the characters.

Thanks: to Tishannia who beta'd this, and to those who offered to Beta. I'm surprised people actually care about this story!

**..:::xxxX What If Chapter Three Xxxx:::...**

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_..::Shinra Hq. Top floor::.._

Barricaded in his impenetrable office, President Shinra couldn't hear the screams of his employees below him, or how they suddenly stopped. All he could hear, and all he cared about, was the phone conference he was holding with Heidegger.

"_The three Shinra MPs I sent with Reno are dead."_ The man who was usually continuously laughing didn't even have a snicker in his voice as he relayed the information to his boss. _"Reno swears that he has no clue what happened." _

"Does he at least know how they died?" President Shinra said, growling. First AVALACHE breaks into his building, 'rescuing' the red dog thing that Hojo had captured, then after they had been caught, they somehow escaped! Then some cloaked psycho and the ancient barge in here, releasing the Jenova Specimen, then continue their way up to him! Thank the Planet he had those safety doors installed on the 69th floor. Nothing could open them without a code.

"_Reno thinks there are sword wounds, but I want to wait for Hojo to return for the autopsy to be certain." _

Before the President could respond, there was a loud_ 'thunk'_ on the door. Surprised, President Shinra stood up. "What are you useless employees doing!" He yelled as he set down the phone on the table and went to open the steel door. Before he could reach it, something sliced through the steel as if it was butter, cutting it in half. Terrified, President Shin-ra watched as the cloaked man he had heard about walked up the stairs, carrying the disfigured Jenova specimen.

"What… What the hell do you think you're doing!" He bellowed, turning around to get the mako-gun he kept in his desk.

"Do you really think that your gun can save you, Mr. President?" The cloaked man said, causing President Shinra to hesitate. He knew that voice, but it was impossible!

"Who are you?" He turned around, facing the cloaked man. "What do want?"

"What I want is simple. To destroy all you humans and rule the planet alongside my mother." The cloaked man said, bringing a hand up to his hood to unmask his face. "As for who I am, I believe you already know the answer to that question."

All thoughts of trying to save himself froze as President Shinra stared in to the Aqua eyes of the legendary General. "Impossible..."

"Hardly." Sephiroth scoffed, "you used to brag that I was unbeatable. Aren't you glad that you were right? Not even the Lifestream could stop me!"

President Shinra glowered as his mood shifted. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" He bellowed, "killing my employees! Abducting Hojo's experiment!" He pointed to Jenova, " I DEMAND that you return that thing to Hojo's Lab at once!"

The Masamune rose as Sephiroth scowled. "Don't ever speak to me like that." The swordsman said quietly, "don't you dare try to command me either, human."

"**Son, let me take care of him."** Jenova's voice scared Shinra witless as the thing he presumed intelligible, if not dead, moved towards him, it's hand reaching slowly toward him as it stepped shakily forward.

"What... What in Hellfire is that thing!"

"That thing, Mr. President, is my mother, Jenova. The last full blooded ancient." Sephiroth said with a smirk as he watched the horror deepen on the President's fat face.

"Your mother?" Shinra said, breaking his gaze from Jenova to look at the silver haired man. " What kind of lies did Hojo feed you! Your mother was Lucre..."

Suddenly, Jenova's hand shot out, transforming into a tentacle that was as sharp as a blade as it sliced through President Shinra's head, making a perfect circular hole the size of a materia in his forehead. She slowly retracted her limb, slightly tugging at Shinra's body, making it fall face forward onto the rich carpet floor, red blood and gray brain matter staining the carpet as it leaked on to the floor.

Sephiroth stared at the dead president, trying to figure out what he was about to say. _"Lucre? Is that a name? It sounds so familiar, where have I heard that before?" _

"**SON."** Jenova's voice rang in his head, demanding his attention.

"Yes mother?" Sephiroth asked as he turned to face her.

"**Do not believe his lies."** She hissed, which caused a sudden stab of icy pain in his mind, making him flinch a little. **"**_**I **_** am your mother. Now go fetch the girl. Make sure to protect her and re-educate her so that she no longer pities humans. I'll meet you at Mythril Mines."**

"Yes mother." Sephiroth turned and left Jenova, whose skin was beginning to bubble and twist violently. He tried to remember what the President had said that made Sephiroth start to think about… something. However, he became more and more unsure that the President had even spoken about anything important, till he was convinced the President hadn't when he reached the brown haired woman that mother instructed him to find before he rescued her.

Aeris jumped to her feet when a quiet voice behind her said, "we're leaving."

"You're back..." She said as she turned around, before becoming frozen when she saw the face that had been hidden beneath the hood of his cloak. She recognized the sharp face, the metal like silver hair, and the aqua eyes. It was the man who stood beside her dead boyfriend in the photo that was attached to Zack's last letter.

"General Sephiroth..."

* * *

"Cloud, we should go back down. Nanaki and Barret are waiting for us!"

The revelation of her companions identity was pushed aside when Aeris heard the female voice and two pairs of feet climbing the stairs. She looked up at Sephiroth, hoping he had a plan. He grabbed her arm and lead her up the few stairs to the lobby. She focused on the back of his cloak, trying not to look at the massacre that surrounded them as he lead her over to the pair of elevators. Sephiroth quickly pressed the button, pushed Aeris in before he stepped into the elevator and quickly pressed the close button as the other pair reached the top of the stairs.

Tifa and Cloud stopped at the top of the stairs, overwhelmed by the sight that greeted them. Earlier that day when they had been captured and brought to see President Shinra, the lobby had been alive with activity. Secretaries busily answering phones and jotting down messages, while interns and entry level employees rushed up and down the stairs delivering those messages. Now the large lobby was quieter then the Train Graveyard with nothing alive to break it's eerie silence.

Cloud was the first to take a step onto the cold tile floor, not saying a word as he followed the bloody trail that lead straight through the bloodiest part of the massacre. Tifa followed close behind, trying to make as little noise as possible as she walked across the tiles. The silence was like the silence in a church, like it felt wrong to try and break it.

They were further shocked when they climbed the flight of stairs to the President's office, and saw the fat man lying in a pool of his own blood, with gray pieces littered about.

"Who did this?" Tifa whispered as Cloud stepped closer to the body to inspect it.

Before he could give a guess, the balcony door opened, causing them to cover their ears at the sudden boom of helicopter blades going _'thum thum thum'_ and turned to see a familiar young man dressed in a white trench coat walk into the office, a black panther-like monster following him.

Both Tifa and Cloud recognized him as Rufus Shinra, the son of the dead president on the floor. At first Rufus ignored them as he stared down at his father's body, no real emotion his face. After a moment he smirked before turning to the two AVALANCHE members, who automatically readied themselves for a fight. He looked over Cloud's sword and Tifa's clenched fists. "You obviously didn't do this." he said, turning to face them fully. "Tell me, who did."


	5. Chapter Four

**Author Notes: **Finally, an update. Sorry for the long wait. This winter has been too hectic. Anyways, enough of that. Enjoy Chapter four!

**Thanks To: **You, the reader. And the wonderful Tishannia, who can quickly proofread this thing. .

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters, or even the plot.

* * *

**...: xxxX What If Chapter Four Xxxx:...**

* * *

"Tell me who killed my father." Rufus Shinra asked Cloud and Tifa once more, his tone cool and demanding.

"We don't know." Cloud answered, "We just got here."

"Somehow, I don't believe that." He said while the panther-monster started to become anxious, the tentacle coming out of the back of its head swishing side to side, much like a feline's tail would when it got ready to pounce.

"We're serious!" Tifa implored, "I'm sorry, but we really don't know who killed him!"

"Sorry?" Rufus laughed mockingly, "What reason is there to be sorry? I'm the president now that he's dead! No longer will Shinra try to rule with money and the illusion that if you pay, you'll be protected. No, I'm going to do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. A little fear is a much better way to rule than handing out money."

"I guess that means you're not going to stop the Mako reactors." Tifa said as both she and Cloud prepared for a fight.

"No, I'm not." As if that was a silent command, the dark panther monster jumped in front Rufus in a defensive manner. Rufus pulled out a shotgun and aimed it at the two, "Dark Nation... Attack!"

The monster leapt forward towards Tifa, but instead of attacking her, it jumped completely over her and landed behind her. Dark Nation turned to face them, its tail-like appendage whipping back and forth. "They've got us surrounded." Tifa half whispered as she turned to face the monster.

"You take care of Dark Nation, I'll fight Rufus." Cloud answered quietly, receiving a mute nod from the martial artist. Cloud hefted his sword and charged at Rufus, and managed to slash the new president despite Rufus' attempt at blocking the hit.

Dark Nation wasted no time after that before it cast Barrier on Rufus. Rufus smirked as the silvery shield shimmered. "Is that the best you can do?" The Shinra president taunted as he took aim and fired his shotgun at Cloud.

Cloud narrowed his eyes before touching one of the green Materia attached to his sword. "Bolt!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the same spell had already been cast on Tifa by Dark Nation, which made her flinch slightly before casting fire on the monster. Dark Nation practically shook off the flames, barely fazed by them.

After the flames died, Dark Nation rushed at Tifa, who avoided the monsters teeth and claws by side stepping and performed a round house kick that landed right on his snout when he turned around and attacked again. The monster shook his head, before its tail like appendage rose and it cast barrier on itself.

Knowing that the rest of her physical attacks wouldn't be much use, Tifa touched the green orb on her bangle and pointed at Dark Nation before calling out "Ice!" The freezing spell had a bit more effect than the fire as it knocked her opponent back a few feet. Snarling, Dark Nation cast bolt once more, making Tifa cry out this time.

* * *

"I thought father said you claimed to be a 1st class ex-Soldier." Rufus said as he recovered from the sword strike Cloud had dealt him. Despite having been partially blocked by the spell his pet and partner had cast, the sword still did some damage. "Funny, you don't fight like a Soldier."

"Shut up." Cloud said, receiving another shot from Rufus's shotgun. "It's not like you're doing any better."

* * *

What felt like hours later, Dark Nation finally fell, knocked out with an ice spell that depleted the rest of Tifa's MP. Now that her foe was no longer a problem, Tifa turned around prepared to help Cloud with Rufus. Both men had their fair share of wounds, Rufus more than Cloud, and they both wore similar expressions of determination on their face.

"You want any help?" She asked, and received a shake of the head from Cloud.

"I can finish him." He muttered as he lifted the Buster Sword of the ground and on to his shoulder. Giving a reckless smirk, he charged at the new Shinra president "Cross Slash!"

Tifa watched as Cloud slashed at Rufus, part of her awed by the power her childhood friend was displaying, while another part of her was so used to fighting that she didn't really care.

* * *

Sephiroth kept a gloved hand clamped around Aeris' wrist as the two watched a large red beast and a large brown man hang around the doors. Aeris looked over to her companion and whispered, "That's Barret Wallace, I know him. We can trust him; he's fighting against Shinra too!"

Aeris bit her lip when Sephiroth turned and shot her a look, commanding her to be quiet. She frowned and looked back where Barret and the strange animal stood. Sephiroth's grip on her wrist was loose enough that she could break it and run towards her friend, who could take her home and away from the strange General who was suppose to be dead.

However, the planet had told her to stay with Sephiroth, that she had to guide him, whatever that meant. Therefore, she kept her mouth shut and stayed in the shadows, only fidgeting when her body started to ache too much.

After what seemed like hours, a woman with long brown hair and gloved fists came running down the stairs, motioning to Barret and the animal. "Get in the truck!" She yelled as she ran to the small blue truck behind the thick glass sign bearing Shinra's name and company symbol. Sephiroth stood, pulling Aeris up.

"Stay still." He hissed quietly, making the flower girl afraid to nod her head. However, his command was soon forgotten as a familiar figure sped down the stairs on Shinra's prototype motorcycle.

"Zack…" She whispered before trying to break Sephiroth's grip on her arm and run to the man, "Za…!" A gloved hand quickly covered her mouth as Sephiroth used his other arm to pull her against him. She watched in horror as the man looking like her old boyfriend looked around before shrugging and motioning to the others.

Once they had left the Shinra building, Sephiroth let Aeris go. She spun around and glared at him, but lost some of her anger when she saw the ex-General's face. "What part of stand still do you not understand?" He hissed at her, "If they had seen us our mission would be a failure!"

"I don't even know what 'the mission' is!" She said, her fear dying down as her anger grew. "All I know is that I was kidnapped by an insane man who has a beheaded mother that's still alive! And that I was helpless while I watched you slaughter innocent people for no reason!" She took a breath, glaring up at the silver haired general whose expression was as cold as ice. The planet hummed gently, trying to soothe her anger. However, all it did was invoke it.

"And you!" Aeris yelled, glaring at the floor. "How can you tell me to follow them? I hope you know this 'mission' is going to get me killed!"

Sephiroth watched Aeris glare at the floor, wondering if mother absolutely needed the woman. _"She says I'm insane?" _He didn't have radical mood swings, or yell at the floor for no reason. "Are you finished?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked up at him. They held each other's stare for a few moments before Aeris closed her eyes and sighed.

"I suppose so." She whispered. "Where are we going now?"

"We'll meet mother at the Mythril mines." He said, turning around and walking across the plaza. It was a few moments until he heard her boots thumping against the marble floor as she hurried to catch up with him.

"You mean we're leaving Midgar?" She watched for any reaction on his face, but didn't see any. "I take that as a yes." She frowned as she debated on whether to ask her next question or not. After they left the Shinra building and made their way down the deserted street, she gathered the courage. She walked in front of him and didn't flinch when he glared at her for getting in his way. "If you want me to follow you, I have to at least tell my mom we're leaving. She's probably already worried sick since I didn't come home for supper."

"We need to hurry." Was all he said as he pushed her aside and continued walking. Determined, Aeris rushed in front of him and stopped him again.

"It will only take a few minutes. Besides, I need to get some changes of clothes and food since you don't have any." She stood her ground as he continued to glare at her. "Do you really want to leave Midgar with no supplies?"

It was his turn to sigh. "Fine, but only for ten minutes. Then we leave." He ignored her smile as he stepped around her and walked toward the train station. _"Hopefully mother will forgive me if she doesn't make it."_


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Notes: This would have been up around three days ago if I had checked my email sooner.

Beta'd by Tishannia (thanks again!)

* * *

**...: xxxX What If Chapter Five Xxxx:...**

* * *

Aeris walked ahead of Sephiroth, eager to get home. She ignored the fact that she wouldn't be able to stay, she just wanted to see her mother one last time before she left Midgar. She also wouldn't mind getting something to eat.

As she left Sector 6 and entered Sector 5, the woman who had been taking care of the Mako-poisoned man ran over to her. "Have you seen him?" The woman asked frantically, "Do you know where he went?"

"Where who went?" Aeris asked, but it was no use, the woman was looking around wildly, searching for something. Aeris placed her hands on the woman's shoulders to get her attention. "Kyla," she said calmly, "Calm down."

Kyla relaxed slightly, looking at Aeris and forcing herself to take a deep breath. "The man with Mako poisoning." She said, her speech still faster than normal, "The last couple of days he's been moaning and mumbling something about a reunion at Nibelheim. Then, this morning when I went to get breakfast, he disappeared!"

"And no one's seen him since?" Aeris asked.

"Nu-uh." Kyla shook her head, "He's probably long gone by now, isn't he**?"** Aeris hugged the woman as she started to cry.

"Shh, it'll be alright. He'll turn up eventually." A faint sound caused Aeris to look up and see Sephiroth once more hidden by his black cloak. Seeing the look in his glowing eyes, Aeris broke the embrace. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." She smiled as Kyla wiped her tears away. "But don't worry; I'm sure he'll turn up. Just keep looking."

Kyla nodded before walking away, intent on not resting before she found her charge. Once she was out of sight, Aeris turned back towards Sephiroth. "My home's this way." She said as she walked past him, trying to ignore his cold stare. Her excitement of coming home was replaced with an uneasy feeling. What was she doing, taking him to her house? What if he went psycho and tried to kill her mom and Marlene? What would her mom say about her following the man who was once Shinra's top General? There was no way she was going to let Aeris go gallivanting across the planet, with or without him!

Before she could find an excuse for Sephiroth to stay outside, or a believable reason why she had to go with him, they arrived at her house in a closed off part of the Sector. Her worries were temporarily forgotten as she noticed a note taped to the door. She ran up the stairs and snatched the note off the door; right away, she recognized her mother's elegant handwriting**,** except it was more rushed than usual.

"_Dear Aeris,_

_I'm sorry we couldn't wait for you to come home, but Barret insisted that we left immediately. I know this is going to be hard on you, but you need to leave Midgar as soon as possible. There's a pack inside with everything you'll need inside it._

_We can't put where we're going, in case Shinra's people get a hold of this, but it'll be far, far away. I know that we'll see each other again._

_Remember I love you, and be careful!_

_Love, Mom."_

"What is it?" Aeris looked up from the note over to Sephiroth.

"My mom… They've left Midgar." She gave a forced smile, "I guess I won't have to worry about explaining this to her now!"

Sephiroth watched uninterested as Aeris jumped up to grab something off the door seal, which must have been a key since she unlocked the door and opened it. She paused as the door slid open, revealing a pitch-black room. Aeris turned around to face him and asked hesitantly, "… Do you want to come in?" He didn't say anything, but walked up past her and into the house. She rolled her eyes at his rudeness, but walked in after him, turning on the lights before closing the door behind her.

As her mother said, there was a travel backpack laying on top of the table, along with a plate of fruit and dried meat. However, she was distracted from the food when she saw Sephiroth walking around and checking out the house.

"What are you looking for?" She asked, confused as he pulled open the curtains.

"Thieves and muggers." He said quietly, "Mother wanted me to protect you."

"Oh." She said, embarrassed she hadn't thought of that. The slums were not a nice place to live, and although she trusted most of the people in the community, she knew that as soon as word got out that they were leaving, the house would be overrun with squatters, thieves, and other lawbreakers.

Aeris left him to check out the rest of the house while she picked up a piece of fruit and munched on it to quench the burning sensation in her stomach. However, it didn't stop the butterflies dwelling there. Her mother had left, along with Marlene, and Barret and his friends had probably left Midgar as well. After all, Barret would never leave Marlene, or let the small girl be taken far away from him. Now there was no one to help her with this insane mission from the planet. Of course, her mother probably couldn't have done anything to help, but it would have been a lot easier if she could have seen her mom's face one last time.

"Let's go." Sephiroth said after he came back downstairs and noticed his companion's solemn face. Aeris didn't argue as she nodded her head and grabbed the pack, hefting it on her shoulders before following the silver haired man out of her home, and eventually out of Midgar.

* * *

"Once again, thank you for saving me."

Tifa smiled as she looked away from the window overlooking Kalm to Nanaki who sat across from her on the window seat. "As soon as your Grandfather contacted us and told us you had been taken, we knew it was time for an all out attack." She leaned forward on the rocking chair, able to make out the glow from Midgar's light pollution. "Shinra's gone too far, trying to experiment on people."

"This isn't the first time." He said quietly, "Before his death, Professor Gast sent videos to Grandfather, telling of horrendous experiments Shinra had authorized. We believe Hojo is the real monster behind them."

An uneasy silence fell over the room as they both stared out the window on the brightly lit town. After a few minutes, Nanaki caught sight of Barret and Cloud coming out of the Weapon shop a few block away. "So who is Cloud exactly?" He asked, keeping an eye on the vibrant yellow hair that weaved through the crowds, "Is he a new member?"

"Kinda. He's… An old childhood friend of mine. He used to be a First Class Soldier." Noticing something off about the young woman's voice, Nanaki looked up and saw the strange expression on her face.

"You doubt him?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"I trust him with my life." She said adamantly, "It's just, he's changed. He's not the same person. And…" She caught the curious look Nanaki had and decided to confide in him. "Some of the things he says, like him coming back to Nibelheim the day it burned… I was there, I helped them navigate through the Mountains to Mount Nibel, but I didn't see him. Not once."

"I see." He said, looking back to the town below. "Do you think he's doing it on purpose?"

"No, not Cloud. He knows better. He's better than that." Despite the firm belief that showed in her voice, she couldn't help but wonder. He was so optimistic when he left Nibelheim, did he create a fantasy that he became so wrapped up in he forgot it wasn't real? Then how could he have gotten Mako eyes like only the top ranking Soldiers had? "Anyways, that doesn't matter." She said, shaking her head. "He's been a good leader so far, even if he's a little… off."

"I take it we won't tell Barret?" Tifa gave a smile when she saw Nanaki give a smile that was unique to him.

"No, we won't."

* * *

Aeris perked up when she saw the lights of a town in the distance. She had been walking, following the barely visible cloaked Sephiroth, and hoped that maybe they had reached their destination for the night. "We're stopping there, right?" She asked, and noticed Sephiroth shake his head.

"We'll stop when we reach the Mythril Mines." Aeris stopped dead in her tracks when she heard that.

"What! You're kidding! That's at least two hundred miles away!" Sephiroth paused and turned his head**,** revealing two glowing eyes glaring at her.

"No, I am not kidding. Now come." He turned around and started to walk again, but Aeris stamped her foot, refusing to move another inch. When it was obvious that she was not going to follow his orders, he paused again and turned to look at her.

Aeris crossed her arms when she knew she had his attention. "I may be a Cetra, and I might be strong enough to hold my own, but I've been up for planet knows how long, I've barely had anything to eat, and I've been dragged every which way by you." She frowned as she noticed his eyes still seemed apathetic. "I'm a flower girl for planet's sake, not a Soldier! I can't walk forever without rest!"

There was an uneasy silence as the two stared at each other. Aeris wished she knew what was going on inside his mind as he stared at her. _"Does he ever blink?"_ Her mind quietly wondered as she frowned. Where had that come from? She must be more tired than she thought.

Eventually, he did blink before walking over to her. "Very well then."

* * *

Jenova mentally growled as she moved away from the carcass of a Midgar Serpent, her body finished absorbing it, giving her enough energy to regenerate her missing head. How long was it going to take Sephiroth to arrive? She knew that the Cetra would slow him down, but he wasn't even in range for general psychic contact. He had to be within a 100-mile radius for her to easily pry into his mind. The closer the better.

She half glided, half climbed the rough sides of the mountains that harbored the Mythril Mines inside them. Once she found an empty cave, she withdrew into herself and mentally searched for her son. Past the Chocobo Farm, over the hills, and near a small human community she found him, barely within range.

"_**What is taking so long?"**_ She demanded, not caring that her rage tore through Sephiroth's mind and made him stumble, wherever he was.

"_Please mother, have patience." _He replied,_ "You were the one who wished for me to protect the girl." _So it was the damn Cetra that was halting his progress.

"_**I know." **_She snapped._** "But make her hurry up! We must finish our mission as quickly as possible!"**_

"_I can try, but she is very tired. She hasn't received the same training I have had." _There was a pause before he asked,_ "Are you certain we need her?"_

"_**YES!" **_She yelled, making sure to inflict pain on his mind for thinking such a thing. _**"She is necessary for our mission!"**_

There was a long pause before he replied, weaker than before. _"Of course, forgive me, Mother. It will be at least another day before we arrive at the mines."_

Jenova snarled mentally, knowing that she couldn't do anymore._**"So be it, but hurry as fast as you can, carry her or something when she gets too tired." **_Without waiting for a reply, she cut off the psychic connection and opened her eyes. That damn Cetra! If her plans didn't require the damn cretin, she would happily have Sephiroth slaughter her.

* * *

It took a moment before Sephiroth realized that mother had released her hold on him. It took another short moment for him to realize that he was lying down, except his head wasn't on the ground like the rest of him. Instead, it was resting on something soft and warm, with warm hands pressing gently on his forehead, somehow removing the cold pain mother had left him with.

"Are you okay?" Was the first thing Aeris asked when he opened his eyes. It was strange seeing her look concerned when just a few minutes ago she was angry with him.

He shoved her away as he stood up, ignoring the hurt look on her face.

"I'm fine." He said, adjusting the hood of his cloak. "You can rest for three hours. Then we continue on, whether you're ready or not." He expected her to argue back, but she just nodded her head, seemingly content with his decision.

And Heidegger used to wonder why he wouldn't allow women in his squadron years ago.


End file.
